R U OK?

R U OK = Are you Okay - a national day held in September to 'support those struggling with life' (website HERE)

I have just been reading an article in the New York Times on the recent rise in suicides in the military

 

Baffling Rise in Suicides Plagues the U.S. Military

 

I know that some of my former Troop-Support Adoptees follow my blog (or have me friended on Facebook) and I really want you to know that if you need someone to talk to - to vent at; to rant about things to - or in the extreme cases - a place to come stay at for a short while* - then I am here for you.

 

Don't keep the pain inside - staying quiet and stoic are the worst things to do.

 

Always your Angel,

Pax

 

*staying-space is a single mattress on the lounge-room floor - dealing with my cat and my quirky nature. You will also need a ticket to Australia! [it's a one bedroom mini-apartment so not being claustrophobic would help too :D]

Ausmerica the Bravely Suntanned?

News just in - White House petition calls for merger of United States, Australia, to form 'Ameristralia'

Read more:  HERE

*blink blink*

Perhaps it's just some right-wing Looney from California who is jealous of our actually having a  National budget?

May Post

May has arrived - and the lovely Autumn weather of Brisbane is glorious to behold.  Cool but sunny and no rain - wonderful.

"Received" an early birthday "gift" today (my birthday is the 4th) - trip to the dentist for what I had hoped was simply a lost filling.  Turned out to be a crack through the tooth and so I now have one less tooth for the brushing (recovery will take a few days and I am currently very propped up by the pharmacy-grade pain meds). It was my upper right back tooth so it's loss won't interfere too much with my life.

In other actually GOOD news - I have a job interview on Monday for a Library Assistant's position.  So if you can spare some good thoughts - please wing them my way.

Oh and I have heard from my new Soldier's Angel adoptee.  Mike is a clever, articulate and dedicated member of the USA Army.  He's has a wonderfully good sense of humour and we have been exchanging emails since I adopted him.  So very glad I have 'met' him [so far a batch of goodies have been sent off to him - he's received the small batch of Aussie cookies & candy (no no musk stick - I am being nice!) and a plush kangaroo toy he has named "Jack"; and I sent him a copy of the movie "Finding Nemo" (we have been joking about that since my introductory email explaining that I live "half way between the Reef and Wallaby Way Syd-e-ney").  Girl Scout cookies are also on their way to him].  He is very much a ray of sunshine in my life - making all the uncertainties of lack-of-job fade away whenever I chat with him. So very glad I found Soldiers Angels five years ago (almost to the day actually - it was my "Pay it forward" Birthday gift to myself five years ago and never once regretted.)

Now to get over the extraction and be all smiles come Saturday.  I am having lunch with my Parents and haven't wanted to worry them,  Wish me a speedy recovery! :)

edited to add - lol someone just asked me if I have a "wish list' for my birthday.  I do but I don't expect any gifts - your all-abiding love and support are all I need [but if that's just tooo freaky to contemplate - here's my amazon link - http://amzn.com/w/1EUHNLL1YFLO ]

ANZAC DAY - Lest we forget

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
...
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

 

(I owneth not the copyright to this picture)

 

Super important travel information

Wow! I had never really stopped to think about where one "goes" when overseas - many of these places I would have thought to have more modern sewerage systems like in Australia, USA & Great Britain

For an interesting read for travellers - go read the "WHERE DO I PUT THE PAPER" website

New Book out!

My Friend and fellow Blogger - Momma Fargo - has just written her first ever book.

It is now available at Amazon.com in Printed format; and will be available in Ebook format shortly - and should be available for the Nook in a few weeks (I believe)

Go read about it HERE

I helped with some of the editing so I'm not entirely unbiased :D - I found it to be a mix of very moving tales from Momma's police days; and some very sage (and sometimes funny) wisdom on just what is wrong with today's youth and how you and I (as THE PARENT - THE ADULT - SOCIETY) can help to fix it all.

During the edits I alternated between crying over the sad sad truths about how sexual predators harm their child victims; and laughing over the other tales.  Most assuredly a roller-coaster ride!

So go find a copy and read read read!

Pax
[a true believer in the written word!]

The War to End all Wars...

... still bringing them home almost 100 years later

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-11/fromelles-diggers-identified/4623996

The remains of another five Australians killed during the Battle of Fromelles in World War I have been identified.

 

The Battle of Fromelles was... the bloodiest 24 hours in Australia's military history, with over 5,500 diggers killed or wounded.

 

The recently identified soldiers were among 250 Australian and British soldiers who were recovered from a mass burial site at Pheasant Wood in France.

 

The soldiers' bodies were recovered in 2009 and reburied in the Fromelles Military Cemetery the following year.

 

There are now 124 Australians who have been identified from the site.

 

Lest we forget....